JP2007169289A - Process and composition for controlling fecal hair excretion and trichobezoar formation - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process and composition for controlling the fecal hair excretion and trichobezoar formation of animals such as cat and rabbit. <P>SOLUTION: Animals such as cats and rabbits are fed with a composition comprising from about 10 to about 42 wt.% crude protein, from about 4 to about 30 wt.% fat, from about 1 to about 25 wt.% total dietary fiber, and a supplemental fiber source as a laxative for the animals. The supplemental fiber source is present in amounts to provide from about 1 to about 13 wt.% of supplemental total dietary fiber based on the total dietary fiber. The animal is maintained on the diet feed for a sufficient period of time to control fecal hair excretion and trichobezoar formation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and a composition for regulating body hair excretion and hair bulb production in feces of animals such as cats and rabbits that are prone to hair ball production.

  Animals that constantly groom themselves, such as cats and rabbits, constantly consume large amounts of hair. Normally, ingested hair passes through the animal's gastrointestinal tract and is excreted in the feces. However, ingestion of a large amount of hair causes hair to accumulate in the stomach and form hair balls. Generally, the hair bulb is composed of hair, mucus, water, feed particles and mineral salts. Hair bulbs can be detrimental to animals if they obstruct the normal digestive process by blocking the pylorus and preventing the digest from passing down the gastrointestinal tract. More often, the hair bulb is nothing but annoying for the animal and its owner. For example, cats try to remove hair bulbs from the stomach by a vomiting reflex. As the hair bulb passes through the stomach and stagnate in the lower intestine, it can cause constipation and difficulty of defecation.

  Hair bulbs have historically been treated using petrolatum, mineral oil and other laxatives that are included in various forms as feed treats and / or supplements. The effectiveness of these laxative-type compounds on hairball preparation is variable at best. Alternating strategies that attempt to regulate the formation and development of hair bulbs are like cellulose to increase the passage of hair through the gastrointestinal tract and into the feces without causing obstruction or constipation. Use of feed or feed supplements containing high amounts of indigestible (insoluble) fiber. However, such feeds can reduce fecal properties and cause diarrhea, otherwise they do not promote gastrointestinal health.

  Although fiber is not required in animal feed, studies have shown that an appropriate amount of fermentable fiber in the diet helps maintain gastrointestinal health. Due to the special composition and physical properties, dietary fiber generally increases water retention capacity, regulates stomach upset, increases intestinal transit time, and maintains the structural integrity of the intestinal mucosa. However, large amounts of highly fermentable fiber sources generally reduce dry matter, protein and lipid digestibility, and can produce uniform diarrhea stool, especially when fed to cats. Sunvold D.M. G. Et al., “Dietary fiber for cats: In vitro formation of selected fibers, by catalytic incense and diets and regulations.” anim. Sci. (1995) 73: 2329-2339. Other possible side effects such as constipation, excessive stool production, reduced nutrient digestibility, and loss of coat hair appearance were also observed in cats fed large amounts of insoluble fiber sources.

  Studies utilizing excess fermentable (digestible) fiber sources such as beet pulp, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), citrus pulp, and gum arabic produce short chain fatty acid production, colon cell growth, skin and dermatology, and An increase in stool consistency was shown. Sunvold G. D. Et al., Drapley J. et al. K. Et al., “Energetic substrates for intestinal cells”, In: Reinhart G. et al. A. and Carey D. P. , Eds. , Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol. 2, 1998 Lams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings, Wilmington, OH: Orange Fraser Press, (1998) 463-472; and Kelly. Et al., “Effect of beet pull on neutral digitity in the felt,” J. et al. Anim. Sci. (1998) 76 (Suppl 1): 174. However, the effect of moderate fermentable fiber sources on hair bulb formation and fecal hair excretion has not been studied.

  Accordingly, there is a need in the art for methods and compositions that regulate hair excretion and hair bulb production in feces that are effective in animals such as cats and rabbits and do not have the disadvantages of the prior art.

  The present invention provides a method and composition for regulating hair excretion and hair bulb formation in the dung of animals such as cats and rabbits that are effective, enhance gastrointestinal health and do not cause other gastrointestinal problems in the animal. Satisfy this requirement by serving. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for regulating hair excretion and hair bulb formation in an animal dung, comprising about 10 to about 42% by weight crude protein, about 4 to about 30% by weight fat, Feeding the animal with a composition comprising about 1 to about 25% by weight of total dietary fiber and a fiber source supplement.

  The fiber source supplement is preferably at least one fermentable fiber, a blend of at least two fermentable fibers, a blend of at least one fermentable fiber and a cellulose ether, at least one fermentable fiber, a blend of cellulose ether and mineral oil, and at least Selected from the group consisting of a blend of one fermentable fiber and at least one non-fermentable fiber. The fiber source supplement is preferably included in an amount to provide from about 1 to about 13%, more preferably from about 6 to about 12%, and most preferably from about 10 to about 12% by weight of the supplemented total dietary fiber supplement.

  "Fermentable fiber" means a fiber source that has about 15 to about 100% loss of organic matter when fermented by bacteria in dung for 24 hours. Preferably, the fermentable fiber used in the composition of the present invention has at least 20% organic matter disappearance. The fermentable fiber is preferably selected from the group consisting of beet pulp, gum arabic, fructooligosaccharides, and mixtures thereof.

  By “non-fermentable fiber” is meant a fiber source that has less than about 15% loss of organic matter when fermented by dung bacteria for 24 hours.

  In one aspect of the invention, the fiber source supplement comprises a mixture of beet pulp and carboxymethyl cellulose. In another aspect, the fiber source supplement comprises a mixture of beet pulp, carboxymethylcellulose and mineral oil. In yet another aspect, the fiber source supplement comprises a mixture of beet pulp and cellulose.

  In another aspect of the invention, the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp, about 2.0 wt% gum arabic, and about 1.5 wt% fructooligosaccharides. In another aspect, the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp and about 1.5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose. In another aspect, the fiber source supplement comprises about 6% by weight beet pulp, about 1.5% by weight carboxymethylcellulose, and about 2% by weight mineral oil. In another aspect, the fiber source supplement comprises about 6% by weight beet pulp and about 6.5% by weight cellulose. In another aspect, the fiber source supplement comprises about 12% by weight beet pulp.

  Animals are kept on feed for a period of time sufficient to regulate hair excretion and hair bulb formation in the dung.

  Thus, a feature of the present invention is a method of regulating hair excretion and hair bulb formation in the dung of animals such as cats and rabbits that are effective, enhance gastrointestinal health and do not cause other gastrointestinal problems in the animal And providing a composition. This and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and claims.

  The present invention, when fed to animals such as cats or rabbits that are prone to hair ball formation, effectively adjusts hair ball formation and body hair excretion in the dung while simultaneously improving the gastrointestinal health of the animal. Provide. The present invention provides improvements over conventional hair bulb treatments such as the use of pineapple juice, hay, petrolatum and mineral oil that act either to dissolve some hair bulb protein or to move body hair through the intestine. . The present invention not only provides an effective method for removing hair bulbs from the gastrointestinal tract of animals, but also improves the health of epithelial cells and produces a mixture of fermentable fibers capable of producing short chain fatty acids that regulate the intestinal bacterial population. Inclusion enhances gastrointestinal health.

The fermentable fiber used in the practice of the present invention exhibits a% loss of some organic matter. The fermentable fiber has about 15 to about 100% organic matter loss (OMD) when the bacteria in the dung are fermented for 24 hours in a test tube. That is, about 15 to about 100% of the total organic matter initially present is fermented and converted by bacteria in the dung. The loss of organic matter in the fiber is preferably about 20%, most preferably at least 30%.
Thus the OMD% in a test tube can be calculated as follows:
{1-[(OM residue-OM blank) / initial OM]} × 100
Where OM residue is organic material recovered after 24 hours of fermentation and OM blank is organic material recovered in the corresponding blank tube (ie, containing medium and dilution dung but not substrate). The first OM is organic matter put in the pre-fermentation tube. Additional details of the method can be found in Sunvold et al. Anim. Sci. 1995, 73, 1099-1109.

  Fermentable fibers useful in the present invention are in the range of metabolizable energy (ME) of about 28 to about 85 mmol SCFA / 1000 calories (K calories), more preferably in the range of about 42 to about 71 mmol SCFA / 1000 Me K calories. Of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This indicates that it is equivalent to a composition having a total fermentable fiber content that yields about 100 to about 350 mmol SCFA / kg feed.

  The mmol / 1000 metabolizable energy K calories of SCFAs is calculated by first calculating the total caloric (ME) calories of the test feed composition per kg composition. The g number for 1000 K cal Me can be derived from the initial calculation. The g, and hence mmol, of the fermentable fiber component of the composition can be calculated.

  The fermentable fiber may be any fiber source that the enteric bacteria present in the animal can ferment to produce significant amounts of SCFAs. For purposes of this invention, a “significant amount” of SCFAs is a total SCFAs amount of 0.5 mmol or more per gram of substrate in 24 hours. Preferred fibers include beet pulp, gum arabic, tarha gum, rice bran, carob bean gum, sweet vine pulp, sweet pectin, fructooligosaccharides, mannan oligosaccharides and mixtures and blends of these fibers.

  The fermentable fiber can also be mixed with other non-digestible fiber sources such as cellulose and cellulose ethers, or laxatives such as petrolatum jelly or mineral oil. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentable fiber is selected from beet pulp, gum arabic, fructooligosaccharides, and blends thereof.

  Preferably, the blend of at least one fermentable fiber and cellulose ether comprises beet pulp and carboxymethylcellulose. Preferably, the blend of at least one fermentable fiber, cellulose ether and mineral oil comprises beet pulp, carboxymethylcellulose, and mineral oil. Preferably, the at least one fermentable fiber and the at least one non-fermentable fiber comprise beet pulp and cellulose.

  Most preferably, the fiber source supplement is 6 wt% beet pulp, 2.0 wt% gum arabic, and 1.5 wt% fructooligosaccharide; 6 wt% beet pulp and 1.5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose; Selected from the group consisting of 6% by weight beet pulp, 1.5% by weight carboxymethylcellulose, and 2% by weight mineral oil; 6% by weight beet pulp and 6.5% by weight cellulose; and 12% by weight beet pulp Is done.

  The fermentable fiber is used in the pet food composition in an amount that provides about 1 to about 13%, preferably about 6 to about 12%, most preferably about 10 to about 12% by weight of the total dietary fiber supplement.

  The definition of “supplemented total dietary fiber” requires an explanation of “total dietary fiber” first. “Total dietary fiber” is defined as the residue of plant food that is resistant to hydrolysis by animal digestive enzymes. The main components of all dietary fibers are cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin and gum (as opposed to “crude fibers” which only contain some form of cellulose and lignin). A “supplemented total dietary fiber” is a dietary fiber that is added to food beyond and beyond any dietary fiber that is naturally present in other ingredients of the food. Similarly, the “fiber source” is considered to be mainly composed of fibers.

  The animal preferably has about 10 to about 42% by weight crude protein, about 4 to about 30% fat, about 1 to about 25% total dietary fiber, and about 1 to about 13% by weight of the above supplemented total. Feed containing dietary fiber is fed. Other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients can also be included.

  The use of fermentable fiber sources has proved advantageous for hair bulb conditioning by increasing the passage of the ingested hair through the stomach and intestine and subsequent excretion in the animal dung. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that increased passage rates and excretion will reduce the chances of hair gathering in the animal's gastrointestinal tract and forming hair bulbs. It is believed that a viscous fiber source, such as fermentable fiber, alone or mixed with other fibers, collects ingested hair or binds to food particulate matter. Increasing fiber content increases the emptiness of the stomach and more often allows hair to pass through the animal dung. This increased frequency of passage is believed to reduce hair accumulation in the stomach and colonization of the hair bulb. An additional benefit of fermentable fiber source supplements is to enhance overall digestion by ensuring adequate digestion time, thus preventing any nutritional deficiencies. In contrast, the use of insoluble fiber as the sole fiber source for cat feed can have a detrimental effect on nutrient digestibility and fecal properties, and negatively impact skin and skin conditions when fed for extended periods. Can do.

  In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, the following examples are cited but are intended to illustrate the present invention and not to limit its scope.

Example 1
Several feed compositions were tested for their effects on body hair excretion in manure and prevention of hair bulb formation in the gastrointestinal tract. The possible efficacy of dietary fiber sources to prevent hair bulb formation was evaluated by calculating the degree of hair excretion and hair loss in the manure. The fiber sources were evaluated by adding them to various feed matrices containing chicken, poultry meal, ground corn, sorghum kernels, eggs, fish meal, poultry fat, vitamins and minerals. The fiber sources and / or blends evaluated were (1) 6 wt% beet pulp, 2.0 wt% gum arabic, and 1.5 wt% fructooligosaccharide (FOS), (2) 6 wt% beet pulp and 1 5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose, (3) 6 wt% beet pulp, 1.5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose, and 2 wt% mineral oil, (4) 6 wt% beet pulp and 6.5% cellulose, and (5) 12 % Beet pulp. The control feed used for comparison purposes included a commercially available cat food formulation containing 13% by weight cellulose as a fiber source and about 4% by weight beet pulp.
These five test diets and two control diets were evaluated by feeding 80 cats during the 10-week feeding trial. The study consisted of a 6-week baseline period and a 4-week study period. During the baseline period, prescription cat food, which is available as a commercial product, was fed to the cats, and the baseline hair loss and the body hair excretion rate in the dung were determined for each cat. These results were used to standardize across 8 hair loss and fecal hair excretion by assigning 8 diets to cats. The criteria used to calculate the efficacy of various fiber sources and / or blends are the fecal score of the test cat (a score of 4.0 is ideal), hair loss index, liquid feces, fecal water content, dry feces, and daily Based on fecal hair in feces.
Fecal feces were collected from each cat on a weekly basis during the test period and the hair content of the feces was calculated. Composite week samples for each cat were lyophilized, ground and quantitatively separated using screen series and mechanical tapping. The hair loss index was assigned to each cat by collecting and weighing the resulting hair when using the standardized brushing protocol.
The test results are reported in Tables 1-6 below. As can be seen from Table 2, cats consuming diet # 3 showed a significant reduction in hair loss for 4 weeks.

  The second study was of Example 1 for a fiber blend of 6% beet pulp and 6% cellulose added to a feed matrix containing chicken, poultry meal, ground corn, sorghum shell, egg, fish meal, poultry fat, vitamins and minerals. The same evaluation method as the method was used. A commercially available cat food formulation containing about 4% beet pulp was used for comparison purposes.

The results are shown in Tables 7-12 below.

As can be seen, cats consuming diet containing 6% beet pulp and 6% cellulose showed increased hair excretion.
While certain representative embodiments and details have been set forth to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the methods and apparatus disclosed herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. .

Claims (28)

From about 10 to about 42% by weight crude protein;
About 4 to about 30 weight percent fat,
About 1 to about 25% by weight of total dietary fiber;
Blend of at least one fermentable fiber and cellulose ether; blend of at least one fermentable fiber, cellulose ether and mineral oil; blend of at least one fermentable fiber and at least one non-fermentable fiber; blend of at least two fermentation fibers And a fiber source supplement selected from the group consisting of at least one fermented fiber, and a laxative for regulating the excretion of animal hair in the feces and the production of hair bulbs.
.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement is present from about 1 to about 13% by weight.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement is present from about 6 to about 12% by weight.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement is present from about 10 to about 12% by weight.   The fiber source supplement comprises at least one fermentable fiber; a blend of at least two fermentable fibers; a blend of at least one fermentable fiber and a cellulose ether; a blend of at least one fermentable fiber, a cellulose ether and mineral oil; and at least The laxative of claim 1, selected from the group consisting of one fermentable fiber and a blend of at least one non-fermentable fiber.   6. The laxative of claim 5, wherein the fermentable fiber is selected from the group consisting of beet pulp, gum arabic, fructooligosaccharides and blends thereof.   6. The laxative of claim 5, wherein the fermentable fiber has at least 20% organic matter disappearance.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises a blend of beet pulp and carboxymethyl cellulose.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises a blend of beet pulp, carboxymethyl cellulose and mineral oil.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises a blend of beet pulp and cellulose.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp and about 1.5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp, about 1.5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose and about 2 wt% mineral oil.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp and about 6.5 wt% cellulose.   The laxative of claim 1, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 12 wt% beet pulp. From about 10 to about 42% by weight crude protein;
About 4 to about 30 weight percent fat,
About 1 to about 25% by weight of total dietary fiber;
Blend of at least one fermentable fiber and cellulose ether; blend of at least one fermentable fiber, cellulose ether and mineral oil; blend of at least one fermentable fiber and at least one non-fermentable fiber; blend of at least two fermentation fibers And a fiber source supplement selected from the group consisting of at least one fermented fiber,
A laxation method for regulating excretion of animal hair in the feces and production of hair bulbs, comprising administering to an animal having a target hair.
.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement is present from about 1 to about 13% by weight.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement is present from about 6 to about 12% by weight.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement is present from about 10 to about 12% by weight.   The fiber source supplement comprises at least one fermentable fiber; a blend of at least two fermentable fibers; a blend of at least one fermentable fiber and a cellulose ether; a blend of at least one fermentable fiber, a cellulose ether and mineral oil; and at least 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is selected from the group consisting of one fermentable fiber and a blend of at least one non-fermentable fiber.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fermentable fiber is selected from the group consisting of beet pulp, gum arabic, fructooligosaccharides and blends thereof.   20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fermentable fiber has at least 20% organic matter disappearance.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises a blend of beet pulp and carboxymethylcellulose.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises a blend of beet pulp, carboxymethylcellulose and mineral oil.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises a blend of beet pulp and cellulose.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp and about 1.5 wt% carboxymethylcellulose.   16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 6% by weight beet pulp, about 1.5% by weight carboxymethylcellulose and about 2% by weight mineral oil.   The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 6 wt% beet pulp and about 6.5 wt% cellulose. The method of claim 15, wherein the fiber source supplement comprises about 12% by weight beet pulp.